Beijing | Living the Life | Practising Religion

It is generally possible for expats in Beijing to be able to follow their religion. Our relocation guide lists prominent places of worship throughout the city.

For a long time after 1949, religion was banned in China, and churches, mosques and temples closed – many of them were destroyed during the Cultural Revolution. While this is still an officially atheist state, there is considerably more scope for personal and public worship now. Minority peoples such as the Hui and Uyghurs have been Muslim for centuries, Tibetans are, of course, Buddhist and Christianity in particular is seeing a renaissance among the majority Han, as young Chinese people perceive it as imparting a healthier message and lifestyle than the selfish consumerism that has taken hold in recent decades.

There are five officially recognised religions in China: Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, Protestantism and Catholicism. Judaism and other religions are not banned and can also be observed.

The Chinese religious tradition has always entailed a mix-and-match approach, with Buddhism arriving from India 1,500 years ago (taking on its own special form in Tibet) and adding certain aspects of Daoism as time went on. Animism and ancestor worship have been important for millennia, and continue to be. Just witness the huge traffic jams on Qingmingjie, an official holiday during which families sweep the tombs of their ancestors and burn fake money (and these days, intricate paper mobile phones or cars) as gifts for the departed in the next world.

Islam originally made its way to China through Arab merchants in the south, but made most progress along the Silk Road in northwest China. The Uyghurs in Xinjiang are predominantly Muslim, and the Chinese Hui minority numbers about 10 million, practising a flexible form of Islam that, for instance, does not ban alcohol. Mosques in Shanghai cater to them as well as the foreign community.

Christianity found some purchase in China during the Ming Dynasty, but only had a serious impact with the advent of the Concession era and the spread of missionaries. This left Christianity with a serious image problem, as an aspect of the “Century of Humiliation” taught in history books here. However, by now it’s generally associated with the admired aspects of Western culture and is increasingly popular among the sophisticated young looking for a different approach to spirituality.

See listings below for places of worship that serve the foreign community here, or places that offer historical background or more information about observing your faith in Beijing. Service times can change, so call to check. Note that in many cases, in accordance with PRC law only foreign passport-holders can attend services.